According to media reports, 39 tanneries located close to the Ganga river in Uttar Pradesh, India, have been closed by the local pollution control board following concerns over the level of effluent being discharged into the river.

The move came after reports that the tanneries may have been releasing untreated waste into the river. Following an inspection, it was found that 20 of the tanneries were operating without a mandatory chromium recovery plant, while the other 19 were releasing untreated effluent directly into the river.